Mario Steta, President of the International Blueberry Organization (IBO), will be among the key featured guests at the Berry Area scheduled at Macfrut (Rimini, 21–23 April 2026). His participation brings to Macfrut a global perspective on the main dossiers that are reshaping the blueberry sector and, more broadly, the competitive evolution of the berries supply chain.
In recent months, through a series of editorials published by IBO, Steta has clearly identified several key themes: geopolitical instability and international trade, regulatory harmonization, water management, labor availability, plant variety protection, information quality, and supply-chain responsibility. These are the same issues that now directly affect Italian growers, breeders, technicians, and industry operators, and they will be at the center of discussion at the Berry Area.
Global markets, uncertainty, and the need for cohesion
In his January 2026 editorial, Steta describes an international context marked by uncertainty and tension, with growing pressure from extra-sector factors on the agricultural business. He refers to geopolitical dynamics, tariffs, polarization, and disinformation—effects that also weigh on the berries sector. In this scenario, according to Steta, the role of global organizations such as IBO becomes a stabilizing force and a platform for dialogue among countries and operators.
In the article, Steta explicitly emphasizes the value of open trade and international cooperation, noting that “open, fair, and free trade” helps reduce risk in a phase of increasing fragmentation. At the same time, he highlights IBO’s role as a reference point for reliable data and information, at a time when information quality has become a strategic lever for the supply chain.
From the IBO Summit to the topics arriving at Macfrut
In the following editorial, dedicated to the IBO Summit 2025 in South Africa, Steta reiterates the central importance of international dialogue in guiding the sector. The Summit, he writes, brought together more than 550 participants from 32 countries, offering a concrete picture of how the blueberry industry is navigating a phase of rapid transformation.
Among the themes that emerged most strongly were: tariffs and global trade, regulatory complexity, genetic innovation, mechanized harvesting for the fresh market, development of new markets, and growth strategies. A particularly relevant point for Europe is where Steta notes a shared recognition of the urgency of regulatory simplification: “the need for harmonization and reduction of complexity by the EU was identified as an urgent matter”.
For Macfrut’s Berry Area, this approach is especially significant: engaging with Steta will make it possible to connect technical and commercial topics discussed in Italy with an international landscape that is increasingly interdependent and competitive.
Water and labor: the production base under pressure
One of Steta’s clearest contributions in 2025 focuses on water and labor, two factors he defines as essential for horticultural production. The editorial starts from a simple but decisive observation: without water availability and without a workforce, production cannot hold up—and in many areas of the world these two factors are becoming progressively more critical.
Steta cites concrete examples from several production regions (including the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, and California) to show that water scarcity is no longer an occasional risk, but a structural issue the supply chain must address. The central reflection is a call for shared responsibility, summarized in a very clear statement: “without real accountability behind our water usage”, investments and public policies will not be sufficient.
For Italian growers and for operators in the berries supply chain, this theme is particularly timely: irrigation efficiency, resource quality, transparency in management, and investments in resilience are now integral parts of business competitiveness—not merely field-level technical matters.
Plant variety protection and supply-chain responsibility
Another central axis of Steta’s reflection concerns the protection of new varieties and, more broadly, intellectual property in agriculture. In his May 2025 editorial, the IBO President presents Plant Variety Protection not as an issue reserved for breeders, but as a strategic component for the entire supply chain: genetic innovation, yields, quality, shelf life, environmental adaptability, and prospects for mechanized harvesting also depend on the system’s ability to protect and value varietal research.
In the editorial, Steta recalls the historic impact of the UPOV system and cites an indicative figure of the sector’s evolution, with nearly 1,400 registered varieties and tangible progress in quality and agronomic performance. But the most important point is cultural and operational: enforcement, fair conduct, and respect for rights become a shared responsibility. He states this explicitly, writing that plant variety protection and its enforcement are “a responsibility we all share”.
This is a point that resonates directly in the European and Italian context as well, where faster innovation, stronger offer segmentation, and the economic sustainability of new cultivars are making the issue increasingly central to supply-chain decisions.
Why Mario Steta’s presence at the Berry Area matters
Mario Steta’s participation at Berry Area 2026 strengthens the international profile of Macfrut and offers Italian operators a concrete opportunity to engage on issues that are no longer “global” only in theory, but already operational at company level:
- the evolution of international trade and the impact of geopolitical tensions;
- regulatory simplification and harmonization;
- water management and production resilience;
- labor and organizational sustainability;
- genetics, licensing, and plant variety protection;
- data quality and the reliability of information for strategic decisions.
In this sense, Steta’s editorials provide a useful thread for interpreting today’s “hot topics.” Macfrut’s Berry Area will be the place where these themes can be discussed through a lens that is simultaneously technical, entrepreneurial, and international—aligned with the specific needs of the Italian berries supply chain.
